Hand restrainer



March 20, 1951 A, Q, WRIGHT 2,546,118

HAND RESTRAINER Filed Sept. 24 1947 IQTTUZNEV Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention has to do with a hand restrainer, that is, with a device applicable to a persons hand to restrain or limit the action thereof, and it is a general object of the invention to provide a simple, practical, comfortable deviceof this character particularly useful for restraining the hand so that the nails thereof do not contact each other or other parts of the hand.

There are various circumstances under which it is desirable to keep parts of the hand, such as the fingers, separated. This is-particularly true when nail polish, or like material, has been applied to the finger nails making it important that the finger nails be kept untouched, and particularly out of contact with each other and other parts of the hand until such time as the material has dried. It is a general object of my invention to provide a device in the nature of a restraining device that is applicable to a persons hand to maintain the fingers thereof, and particularly the tip portions of the fingers, spaced while allowing some movement or flexibility of the several joints of the hand, including those of the fingers. The device of the present invention serves as a positive restraint in some particulars and otherwise serves to keep the user aware of the presence of the device to such an extent that use of the hand is readily limited so that the nails remain untouched until the polish, or the like, applied thereto has dried.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a restraining device of the general character referred to that is simple to apply to the hand and which can be readily be removed when desired and which does not in any way injure the user and which does not occasionany great inconvenience or place any severe limitation upon use of the hand in performing ordinary simple tasks. An example of the freedom afforded by the device while it is effectively restraining the hand in the manner indicated occurs when one hand to which polish has been applied and on which the restraining device is worn, may be used to manipulate an applicator in a manner to ap ply polish to the other hand.

General y speaking the freedom afforded throu h the structure that I have provided is such that a person, as for instance, a housewife, may have polish applied to the nails of both hands. and may have restraining devices on both hands, and yet may conveniently and effectively carry out numerous simple household tasks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a restraining device of the general character referred to which is sim le in form and exceedingly cheap and simple of manufacture. In its preferr d f m .i e i may hemme o Single unitary sheet of material by a very simple, inexpensive punching operation to the end that the device can be produced at a very low cost. The structure that I have provided is such that it may be advantageously formed so that the sheet of material out of which it is formed presents a surface of substantial extent suitable for the application of advertising matter or the like. Furthermore, the structure of the present invention is such that the device may be made out of various materials including metal, paper or cardboard, and most any of the materials popularly termed plastics.

The Various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a device embodying the present invention applied to a hand and showing a typical application of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the restrainer shown in Fig. 1, showing it from the side that appears in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View of the structure shown in Fig. 2 taken as indicated by line 3'3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a view taken as indicated by line 5--5 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view taken similar to Figs. 2 and 4 showing another form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a view taken as indicated by line ll on Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. '7 showing another form of construction.

The restraining device that I have provided is applicable to the hand of a person desiring to retain the finger nails of that hand out of contact with other objects for a period long enough to allow nail enamel, or the like, to dry or harden. The preferred form of the invention is applicable to the fingers of the hand without materially retarding certain movements thereof and it is such as to leave the palm of the hand and thumb entirely free and unobstructed. It is, of course, generally understood that a hand is made up of the metacarpus portion or palm and the phalanges or fingers. It is to the phalanges or fingers that I apply my restraining device and in the preferred form of the invention the restraining device acts on all of the fingers, that is, the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and the little finger. In the skeleton of the fingers each finger involves three phalanx portions or sections which are in rows, a first row, second row and third row, the several rows being coupled by joints for suitable articulation. In the preferred application of my invention the restraining device that I have provided is applied to the second or middle row of phalanx elements or fingers r The structure that I have provided is characterized by a plurality of spacers engageable with or between adjacent fingers of the hand and suitable structure or coupling parts that join or are related to the spacers to maintain them in the desired spaced relationship, that is, so spaced that they serve to hold the fingers in the desired manner. More specifically it, is preferred that the spacers have concave finger bearings preferably conforming more or less to the fingers of the wearer in order to afford reasonable comfort as the device is worn. Further, it is preferred that the spacers with the coupling parts be so combined as to embrace or encircle the fingers or at, least some of the'fingers to assure proper maintenance of the device on the hand.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the invention is carried out by utilizing a single unitary body A, preferably a single integral or continuous sheet of suitable material. The body A is so formed as to have spacer portions lo and coupling parts I! between the spacer portions, the spacer por tions being formed to have concave finger seats l2 and the portions Is and H being joined or related to form a structure which fully embraces the fingers that are engaged with the retainer.

In carrying out my invention I may form the body A of any suitable material such as sheet metal, heavy paper or cardboard, and any one of numerous materials popularly termed plastics. In general it is desirable that the body A be rigid or substantially rigid, although there may be embodiments of the invention making it desirable to form the body A of a somewhat yielding or resilient material, say, for example, a suitable rubber or rubber-like composition or possibly a resilient metal. When I use the term thin sheet material I refer to a material like heavy paper, cardboard, sheet plastic or the like. Such a material is ordinarily receptive of printing, is inexpensive, and light, and it is to be distinguished from heavy, bulky, expensive, cumbersome block-like material.

In accordance with the preferred construction which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the spacers ill and coupling parts I i are established in the body A by providing the body with a plurality of openings it which may be referred to as finger openings, since they are shaped, proportioned and related to receive the fingers of the user substantially as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. It is preferred, in practice, that the finger openings l3 be in an elongate series and that the several openings be spaced apart in a manner to keep the fingers well apart without discomfort. The most advantageous spacing may result in difierences in spacing at different points lengthwise of the structure. Further, I prefer that the series of openings be curved somewhat as shown in Fig. 2, to more or less conform to the curvature or arcuate arrangement of the second row of phalanges, assuming a section through the second row of phalanges when the hand is in a normal relaxed position.

In accordance with my invention the sheet of material forming the body A may be a simple plain fiat sheet'or, as shown in the drawings, it may be arcuate in shape, that is, it may be curved in the direction of its plane, preferably to such extent or degree that it substantially corresponds with the curved contour of the row of second phalanges of the hand when the hand is viewed in plan.

In the drawings it will be observed that the body A shown'in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is a simple or cumstances.

plain elongate member with substantially parallel upper and lower edges l4 and !5, respectively, spaced far enough apart so that the holes 43 occurring in the body A leave coupling parts I I between the spacer portions Ii! of suificient bod or thickness to give the retainer substantial strength and rigidity. It will be understood that the body A may in practice vary widely in configuration, that is, for example either one or both of the edges of the body may be varied from the simple plain form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to a more complex form such as is shown in Fig. 6. However, such modification does not in any way influence the action or effectiveness of the structure. Further, it is to be observed that the body A shown in the drawings has round or curved ends l6 concentric with the end holes I3 in the body, the ends It being so spaced from the end holes l3 as to leave end parts ll of sufiicient size and strength as to provide effective retention for the fingers engaged in the end holes l3.

In the preferred application of my invention I provide four holes in the bod A, one for the index finger, one for the middle finger, one for the ring finger, and one for the little finger, in which case there are three spacers l0 indicated as X, Y and Z in Fig. 2, occurring between the fingers as shown in Fig. 1, while the end parts i! retain the index finger and the little finger.

In carrying out the form of the invention that I have thus far described the finger holes or openings l3 may be varied in size to more or less vary in accordance with the variation that occurs in the size of the several fingers of the hand. However, in practice such variation is ordinarily not necessary but rather it is satisfactory to make the several finger openings uniform as to size and large enough so that the largest finger is accommodated without inconvenience or excessive pressure. If the finger openings are made of such size as to accommodate the fingers with reasonable clearance the fact that several fingers are engaged with the retainer serves to establish something of a bind or retaining pressure that holds the retainer in place under normal cir- Furthermore, once the retainer has been arranged in place, as shown in Fig. 1, normal action of the hand serves to check any tendency for the device to fall from the hand or to work outwardly on the fingers and the device will not become displaced until deliberately removed.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 a body A formed and constructed in the manner hereinabove described is provided with retainer means B which may be employed if desired to establish engagement with one or more of the fingers in order to assur retention of the device in place on the hand.

The particular means B shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is in the nature of a clamp construction involving one or more clamp members or retainers 20 carried by the body A to be shiftable into overlapping engagement with one or more of the finger openings [3 In the particular case illustrated there are two clamps or retainers 20 mounted on the body A and each cooperatively related to a finger hole l3 In the particular arrangement shown a single pivot member 2| pivotally mounts the two retainers 20 by pivotally coupling them to the middle spacer Y. With this arrangement the retainers 20 are shiftable to positions where they will engage the middle and ring fingers. The structure is such that either one or both of the retainers 20 may be used as circumstances require. The pivot member 2| holds or engages the retainers 20 snugly so that they are not free to rotate but are frictionally held and will only move when deliberately operated.

It will be apparent that as the retainers are swung in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 they, in effect, narrow or cut down the effective sizes of the finger openings that receive the middle and ring fingers. By suitable adjustment of the retainers 20 the device may be made to remain securely on a hand, the fingers of which are slim or such that they might otherwise not hold the restrainin device in the desired manner.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the retaining means B is somewhat different than that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In this case a yielding or elastic member is applied to the body A to occur at or to overlap one Or more of the finger openings I3 In the particular case illustrated the means B is shown as including suitable holders or projections in the nature of hook-like lugs 30 projecting from the body A" while an elastic band 31 is engaged between the lugs. The lugs 30 are shown as tonguelike parts struck from the sheet forming the body at the spacer portions X and Z, with the result that the elastic part or band 3| extends across the finger openings that receive the middle and ring fingers. When this construction is employed an ordinary or common rubber band may be used as the band 3|.

In Fig. 8 lugs i0 in the form of button-like projections are provided with enlargements or heads which retain the band in place, the structure being such that any suitable band may be arranged on the device or may be removed if the user desires.

When the elastic retainer is employed it will be apparent that the fingers, that is, the middle and ring fingers, will deflect the band 31 with the result that the band applies a yielding pressure that serves to comfortably retain the restraining device in the desired operating position on the hand.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the restraining device that I have provided is applied to a hand in the manner such as is shown in Fig. 1, in which case it is shown applied to the middle row of phalanx portions of the fingers, the tip portions of the fingers on which the nails N occur are all free and unobstructed as are all of the joints of the hand. The restraining device when thus in position effectively limits the relative movement of the fingers, that is, articulation of the fingers, to the extent that the tip positions thereof are kept apart and in such position that the user is not likely to bring the nails N into contact with other objects. Furthermore, the presence of the restraining device on the hand as shown in Fig. 1 serves as a constant reminder to the wearer that care is to be exercised in the manipulation of the hand, but is not such as to annoy or inconvenience the wearer.

It will be apparent that any one of the several forms of my invention may be readily applied and when no longer required for use it may be readily removed. Furthermore, it will be apparent that my structure is such that the sheet forming the body of the device may, in practice, readily be formed of such shape and proportion as to afford a substantial space or area suitable for advertising or like markings. In practice the markings may be mere decorations or they may be instructions or may be mere advertising matter, but no matter of what nature they are such as to be noticeable to the user.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A hand restrainer including, an elongate unitary body of sheet material having a series of spaced finger holes therein to hold the tips of the fingers apart when the body is on the fingers inward of the tips, and an elastic retainer carried by the body and engaged over one of said holes to be engageable with a finger engaged in one of the holes.

2. A hand restraining device including, a body having spacers engageable between fingers of the hand and parts coupling the spacers in fixed spaced relation, and an elastic retainer carried by the body and overlying the body at one of the holes to be engageable with the hand to which the body is applied.

3. A hand restrainer including, an elongate unitary body of sheet material having a series of spaced finger holes therein to hold the tips of the fingers apart when the body is on the fingers inward of the tips, and a pair of retainers mounted on the bodythrough a common pivotal connection and engageable with fingers engaged in holes in thebody, the axis of said connection being perpendicular to the body ofsheet material and hOldiIlg the retainers adjacent one side of said body.

4. A hand restrainer including, an elongate unitary body of sheet material having a series of spaced finger holes therein to hold the tips of the fingers apart when the body is on the fingers inward of the tips, lugs projecting from the body, and an elastic band between the lugs and passing over one of the holes of said series to engage a finger inserted through said holes.

5. A hand retainer including an elongate body of sheet material having an arcuate series of spaced finger holes therein and extending substantially longitudinally of the body, and retaining means carried by the body including a member shiftable relative to the body adjacent one of the finger openings to restrict the finger carrying capacity of said opening.

6. A hand retainer including an elongate body of sheet material having a series of spaced finger holes therein, and retaining means carried by the body at one side thereof including a member shiftable relative to the body adjacent one of the finger openings and overlapping said opening to restrict the finger carrying capacity of said opening.

ADELE O. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 142,177 Walsh "Aug. 14, 1945 2,223,204 Carmichael Nov. 26, 1940 2,501,211 Cummings Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 525,059 Great Britain Aug. 21, 1940 

